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Health experts warn over 'dangerous' malaria drug

BRITAIN’s biggest drug company has been marketing a malaria treatment in Africa despite a leaked report from World Health Organisation (WHO) experts which warns that it could be dangerous to some users.

The scientists say that Lapdap, a drug produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), should be subject to more extensive tests before it is offered for widespread use.

GSK has obtained licences to sell Lapdap in 22 African countries. Licences for a further 11 Third World countries are pending.

The company’s move comes despite misgivings expressed in a confidential safety report by a nine-member WHO committee that included world experts on parasitic diseases.

The review was produced almost a year ago and revised in January but remains unpublished. It was leaked by experts worried Lapdap was being rolled out before enough research had been done.

The experts concluded that in many cases the drug’s benefits had not been proved to outweigh